DUNEDIN ATHEÆUM.

Evening Star, Volume VIII, Issue 2483, 31 January 1871, Page 2

DUNEDIN ATHEÆUM.

The annual meeting of the subscribers of this in titutiou was held last evening. There was a large attendance, and Mr John Bathgate presided.

The committee’s report, after congratulating the subscribers on the fact that, after much delay, a building suitable to the wants of the Institute and a credit to Dunedin had been completed, went on to deal with the transactions of the past j 7 ear, which may he summarised thus : —Notwithstanding the prevailing depression in trade, the number of subscriptions have steadily increased. Of life members there was an increase of 1 ; of annual members a decrease of 17 ; of halfyearly subscribers au increase of 64 ; of quarterly members au increase of 7*2 ; and of extra subscribers 4 : making a total increase of 43. The number of volumes added to the library during the .year exceeds that of most previous years, the number of bound volumes being 1,008. The reading-room had also been better supplied with newspapers and magazines ; and perhaps from this cause, and partly from the greater comfort provided for readers n the new building, the numbers of members at tending the r aliug-rooin has greatly increased. The library has been rearranged and re-classified ; and this year, it is thought, a new c ta'ogiie will be issued. Notwithstanding the closing of the library for three weeks., the is -ue of books had increased during the .year by GOO volumes, the total issue for 1870 being 34,673. After referring to the matter of debt, the report went on to state that the committee regretted that as yet they have obtained no suitable offers for the shops in front of the building. Were they let at anything like a reasonable rent they believe that in a short time the Institute would be fiec from debt. In 1860, the revenue received from subscriptions was L7OO 15s 9 1; in 1870 it was L 741 14s ; and it was believed that from this source the revenue would still further increase. The committee thinking that the Institute was not fulfilling its high functions as an educational institution, established evening classes under Messrs . Hawthorne, Abram, Brent. .Park, Stables, Nicourt, Hutton, and Diak, which bad been so far successful. The The attendance was : —Latin, first quarter, 28, second, 18 ; arithmetic, first quarter, 26, second 6; shorthand, first quarter, 13, second, none ; French, first quarter, 16, second 11 ; drawing, both quarters, 40. Besides those classes, M. Nicourt has conducted day and evening French classes with success. From the interest taken in the classes during the past year, the committee believe that all future efforts will be even more successful, and that a nucleus of a working man’s college will be formed, that will act as a feeder to the University about to be established in our midst. Funds to the amount of Ll2 over and above the payment of all expenses remain to the credit of the class committee; and this amount the committee understand, will be expended in the purchase of suitable apparatus, for the use of the various classes, or otherwise for the benefit of the Institute.” The election of office-bearers resulted as follows :—Vice President, Mr 0. Smith ; Hon. Treasurer, Mr Logan ; Hon. Secretory, Mr Stout. Committee—Messrs Fell iws, Blair, Winter, Haul:homo, Hislop, Quick, Jago, Lubecka, and Begg.